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Hank Tuipulotu, 6-foot-3, 225-pound pass catching tight end prospect out of Nation Ford High School in Fort Mill, South Carolina, has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for BYU. Tuipulotu got a late offer from South Carolina and took an official visit to the school's campus in Columbia, but kept his commitment to the Cougars.
Tuipulotu has a composite rating of 80.83, making him a three-star prospect and the 35th ranked prospect out of the state of South Carolina according to the 247Sports Composite. Tuipulotu list of scholarship offers included Air Force, Appalachian State, Furman, Navy, and South Carolina. He also had interest from North Carolina and N.C. State.
Tuipulotu caught 125 passes for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns during his senior season at Nation Ford. It's worth noting he also caught 17 touchdowns during his junior season in only ten games.
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Tuipulotu has great hands and an impressive catch radius. He uses his body well and has the ability to catch passes in traffic. He'll need to bulk up a little to play tight end at the collegiate level, but he has a good frame and the toughness to consistently pick up several yards after first contact.
Tuipulotu will serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before enrolling at the Y. It's hard to predict what the depth chart will look like when he returns in 2018 given that new offensive coordinator, Ty Detmer is looking to bring back the traditional tight end to the Cougars offense. However, Tuipulotu's skill set and ability in the red zone should put him in a position to compete for minutes once he can get back into playing shape.
Here's a collection of Tuipulotu's highlights: